CLIFTON HEIGHTS -- The bar formerly known as Tailgaters has been in the spotlight before, but not for the reason it wanted.

The spotlight was shining on it and in it this week and this time the attention was quite welcome.

The bar has changed its name to 60 East as it sits on the corner of 60 East Baltimore Pike. And while the bar was in the midst of changing its inside appearance in recent weeks, it got some unexpected good news.

Philadelphia TV company Stage 3 Productions is developing a reality series based on the concept of the 1989 movie "Road House." Only instead of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," this will be something more like bar makeover, though no official title has been given to the show.

Advertisement

As it turned out, 60 East is the first bar for the potential show and will be on the pilot episode. The TV crew finished shooting scenes there earlier this week and the show's star is celebrity tough guy Chuck Zito, who has been in several TV shows and movies and has been a body guard for celebrities.

Now, 60 East may get a little time in the spotlight for the right reason.

"I was totally shocked," said bar manager Shannon Murphy of hearing the news about the show coming. "I thought it was great opportunity for us."

That opportunity will be to showcase how the bar has changed. It was about 5½ years ago that the bar was part of a major undercover drug bust operation, so much so that the bust was called Operation Tailgater by county police.

"We want everybody to know this place is not what it used to be," Murphy said. "We have new people in here now and like our sign says, it's a whole new attitude. This is something to have Chuck Zito here this week. He's been super nice to us."

Zito's role in the show will be similar to Patrick Swayze's in "Road House."

"Stage 3 is in Philly and they wanted to use a Philly-area bar," Zito said Friday afternoon. "I've had a nice time in Philadelphia this week. We had the history of this bar and we decided to come here and to help turn it around. We found in a place in transition and we decided to choose this place."

Some of the inside changes include moving the pool tables into the back of the bar, and making the pool room into a music room with a stage. Also, the wall between the bar and what is now the music room is mostly gone. Murphy said bands can call the bar if they are interested in performing and that she's particularly looking for a country band on occasion.

Also, for sports fans, there are now 13 TVs throughout the bar, including about a 130-inch screen in the music room. The plan is to show big sporting events such as the Super Bowl and Flyers games on the big screen, now that the NHL is back after a 113-day lockout.

While the setup is different, Murphy says so are the people.

"We have a different clientele now," she said. "If we find you with drugs, you are gone. We will call the cops."

The hours for 60 East are 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday-Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.